Biedermeier: Art and Culture in the Bohemian Lands 1814—1848)
The publication contains an overview of fine and applied arts of Biedermeier era in the Bohemian Lands presented from a viewpoint of current debate about the nature of this specific artistic and ideological trend. The first part is comprised of thematic essays that concentrate on varied spheres of art production of the period as well as its social and ideological roots. Special attention is devoted to cabinetmaking art, Bohemian glass and porcelain, fashion, as well as painting and graphic arts. The second, catalogue section, includes over 800 colour reproductions of exhibits and most of the entries are accompanied by a short annotation. This part is divided into several portions that follow the theme of home, elegant simplicity of the new style, inspiration by urban life as well as the cult of nature and natural materials.
The book has been published by the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague and Gallery, Ltd, in August 2010.
Neoclassicism and Biedermeier from the Collections of the Prince of Liechtenstein)
The catalogue explores art treasures of the Neoclassical and Biedermeier eras from the rich collections of Hans-Adam II, the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein. Superb portrait, landscape and genre paintings by noted Viennese artists — Heinrich Füger, Friedrich von Amerling, Peter Fendi and Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller — attest to the role of the Princely Family as a leading patron, commissioner and collector of the arts. More than 300 works are included — paintings, sculpture, unique collections of Viennese hand-painted porcelain, architectural plans and furniture. The publication also focuses on the former Liechtenstein estates in Moravia. Vedute, water-colour paintings of interiors and furniture, especially from the Liechtensteins’ country seats at Valtice and Lednice, provide an in-depth look at the lifestyle of this aristocratic family.
The book was published by the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague and the Liechtenstein Museum, Vienna, to accompany the exhibition held in the Waldstein Riding Hall in Prague, May 6 — October 17, 2010.
Czech Photography of the 20th Century)
The best photography book published in Central and Eastern Europe in 2009-2010 competition, 1st Prize in the category Historical Photography
The most comprehensive book on Czech Photography examines the individual movements and tendencies in photography throughout the 20th century. These include early-century styles (Pictorialism, documentary and reportage photography), modern photographic trends of the twenties, Surrealist experimentation and Poetism, postwar reportage and documentary photography, art photography and its various offshoots (The Happening, Land Art, Conceptual Art and Body Art), to staged and portrait photography of the late 20th century.
Almost two hundred photographers have been selected, among them Josef Sudek, František Drtikol, Jaromír Funke, Jaroslav Rössler, Karel Hájek, Václav Jírů, Vilém Reichmann, Jan Reich, Jan Saudek, Josef Koudelka, and others. The reproductions of images lent from Czech and foreign collections offer a complex overview of 20th-century photography in the Bohemian Lands.100 Percent Glass. Glassmaking School in Železný Brod 1920—2010)
In 2010, the glass school in Železný Brod celebrates its 90th anniversary. On this occasion, it has prepared in partnership with the Museum a publication abounding in lively colours, shapes and glass fantasy. Contemporary works created by the school’s students are shown in interaction with outstanding creations from the early years of the institution’s existence, designed by its instructors Alois Metelák, Jaroslav Brychta, Oldřich Žák, Ladislav Přenosil, Zdeněk Juna, and others. It features an extensive and variegated collection of glass vases, dishes, figurines, jewellery and objects executed in every imaginable technique that blends exquisite craftsmanship with inventive creativity. The publication traces the school‘s path toward the world recognition of Czech modern glass, ranging from Art Deco to the latest artistic concepts realized in this noble material. Furthermore, it indicates that the future of Czech glassmaking as a treasured national heirloom rests not only in the preservation of its tradition, but above all in the further enhancement of the internationally unique system of specialized glass education and training.
The book was issued by the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague in collaboration with the High School of Applied Art for Glassmaking in Železný Brod to accompany the exhibition held in the Museum from June 17th to September 19th, 2010.Landscape / Image / Photography)
The landscape, the crossing-point between man and nature, has been a key theme in visual culture since the start of the 19the century. Its image becomes the projection area for the esthetic, philosophical and ideological reference and metaphor of the human relationships to the world. Landscape painting, whose boom characterizes the development of creative art in the 19th century, brings to the world of images the ever more urgent real landscape, but at the same time, it constitutes the rigid stereotypes with image clichés. The clichés are at first primarily accepted even by landscape photography, which complements this scheme with the material perfection of technical depiction. For landscape painting, photography becomes not only a helpful and amply-utilized aid, but mainly a relevant counterpart that reminds of the very task of artistic depiction. Thanks to photography, landscape painting emancipates from the dictate of being bound to topography and discovers its own new schemes.
The publication illustrates this development of the confrontation of the representative works of essential authors of Czech landscape photography and landscape painting of the 19the century and beginning of the 20th century: Jindřich Eckert, Antonín Mánes, František Drtikol, Jakub Schikaneder, Karel Maria Chotek, Antonín Slavíček and others.Artěl. Art d’ús diari/Arte de uso diario 1908–1935)
The Catalan-Spanish language publication explores one of the most outstanding institutions specializing in Czech applied arts and design during the first half of the 20th century. A variety of wares and designs bearing the prestigious Artěl trademark (ranging in style from late Art Nouveau, through Cubism, to Art Deco) is presented in several sections. Founded in Prague in 1908, Artěl associated prominent figures of the Czech art scene. Initially, the association focused on designing and manufacturing "minor art for everyday use" – small functional and decorative items made of wood, ceramic, metal and other materials. Over the years, it extended its activities to include comprehensive designs of interior spaces, both private homes and commercial interiors. An array of diverse views and trends emerged throughout Artěl’s existence, yet all invariably pursued a common goal: to introduce a modern aesthetic outlook into the field of applied arts and to help cultivate household design and the lifestyles of the residents. True in the past and today, Artěl takes its rightful place in Europe’s modern art and design movement, alongside the artistically-inspiring Wiener Werkstätte in Austria and the Bauhaus in Germany.